Lewis Hamilton has told former Formula One drivers to keep their opinions to themselves over his driving style and future.

Hamilton's future has been the subject of much speculation this season but former world champions Nigel Mansell and Jacques Villeneuve both said earlier this week that he should stay with McLaren. That comes after criticism of his driving style from Niki Lauda, while both Mansell and Villeneuve told him to think more about his overtaking manoeuvres.

Hamilton, however, says that he doesn't pay any attention to what is said by others, and that he thinks they should stop expressing their opinions.

"I find it kind of funny," Hamilton told the BBC. "I'm not sure that anyone really cares what some of those people are talking about or their opinions. I think that if you have an opinion, just keep it to yourself."

Hamilton also said he was comfortable with McLaren and wasn't considering his future with the team at present.

"I have no plans. I'm not in any thinking process in terms of what's going on in the future, I'm pretty comfortable in my current contract. Jenson [Button] has his end this year and mine doesn't end until the end of next year, so I have a job for the next year and a half. All the energy and focus goes into trying to win and that's what I'm trying to do."

The International Rugby Board (IRB) have stripped Australia of the right to host a round of the World Sevens Series, scheduled for Brisbane on 16-17 February, after the Australian government's refusal to provide visas for the squad from Fiji